Controlling a Drone with your Mind

A brain-controlled drone is featured as the BBC watches/films. A drone specialist in Portugal demonstrates a flight controlled by human brainwaves, and suggests a future of large-scale unmanned flying.

A company by the name of Tekever is behind developing this technology which they say in the short term could be used to help people with limited movement to control drones and other aircraft. However, they also think in the future it could be used to pilot larger jets, such as cargo planes, and controlled in such a way that there would be no need for an onboard crew.

Tekever, a drone specialist which works with police and the military and security firms, has worked to adapt existing Electroencephalography (EEG) technology in such as way that it can issue instructions to the software that is utilized to provide instructions to drones. The EEG technology works by detecting activity in specific parts of the brain.

The control of the drones by brain waves is accomplished by training drone pilots for several months how to use their mind to “think” about moving a small circle on a computer screen either up or down. This up and down movement on the computer screen is interfaced with a drone to turn it left or right.

While on the video it looks like pretty basic control, one could see how this first step in technological development could in the future transform the lives of those with restricted movement and open up many more uses.